Bairly an Oz each pump :(

Exclusive pumping
pimp every 2 hours
5 to 20 mins depending on how mush time i have
Supplementing similac via bottle
8 week old baby girl
born @ 8 pounds .. first doc visit 8 lb 14 oz
3 to 4 oz feedings every 1.5 to 3 hours depending on sleep and hunger
Organic mothers milk tea and fenugreek
week two of norethindrone .35 mg birth control pill
First period 3 days ago
Sleep is decent. some nights almost 5/6 straight hours
stress lvl not great ( currently displaced from sandy, in a make shift home no real personal space, forced out of work, older daughter has to stay with other family to finish school, fear of failing my lil girl due to lack of breast milk )

I had issues in the begining nursing. My daughter would get very upset at any feeding times. ( i had a c section after 38 hours of trying.. a week late and induced) finally the nurses thought maybe i wasnt producing enough and she was getting tierd of sucking and not getting any food. we tried pumping. i only got a few ml at a time but in the begining they said it was enough and my milk would come in. latching was still and issue she would become frustrated. my pump got lost in shipping ( displaced from sandy ) my breast became engorged so we got a one breast at a time electric pump that realy didnt do much but make alot of noise... milk still wasnt coming in so we started to give formula. i pump every 2 hours unless i physically cant. in the morning i may get 3 to 4 oz combined. my rite breast doesnt realy produce anything. as the day goes on i get less then an oz combined. Am i doing something wrong? am ijust not producing enough milk? should i continue to try and pump or just move onto full formula? she gets about 8 oz in totaly of breast milk a day the rest is formula.

My older daughter is 13. She only breast fed for about 3 months but the same issue. not enough milk. Back then i didnt contact anyone. i did not know you could. i was 17 at the time with no family help. my older daughter also had problems digesting and was suggested special formulas.

I tryed to provide what ever information i could think of. i do hope someone could help.
( please excuse my spelling im typing one handed and cuddling with the other)

Re: Bairly an Oz each pump :(

Wow, you are doing an amazing job, especially considering your cicumstances I am sure that other, more experienced, mammas will pipe in with great suggestions. My thoughts...I've read that any hormonal contraception (even the "safe" progestin only kind) can interefere with supply so maybe consider condoms for now and see if that helps? Also, even though it is really hard to keep pumping, some BM is better than none. You are not failing your LO!!!

mom to four energetic kids ages 6,7,8 and our newest arrival born 8/14/2012

Re: Bairly an Oz each pump :(

Welcome to the forum!

Like the PP, the first thing that jumps out at me from your post is the hormonal contraception- even the "safe for breastfeeding" progestin-only contraceptives can have a negative impact on supply, so I think it makes sense to think about using barrier methods (condoms, diaphragm, sponge, whatever works for you)- at least for now.

Will baby latch on and nurse at all, at this point? A nursing baby is often more effective than a pump at removing milk and stimulating a good supply. If the baby won't latch, this link may help: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/child/back-to-breast/ The skin-to-skin and instant reward techniques are said to be especially helpful.

You don't say what sort of pump you're shushing at this point, but if it's not a hospital-grade rental or a very good double electric pump with correctly sized shields, then you're probably not using the right machine. Exclusive pumping requires an excellent pump!

If you can make 3-4 oz of milk and you nursed your first daughter for 3 months, then you know you can make enough milk. And while 8 oz is not enough for a baby's daily needs, it's nothing to sneeze at! A breastfed baby typically needs only 19-30 oz of milk per day, maximum- so at this moment you are about a third of the way to making everything your baby needs, which is awesome! No reason to give up just because you don't have a full supply- the great thing about breastfeeding is that it does not have to be all or nothing. Even a small amount of your milk is terrific!

Getting a full supply for this baby is probably a matter of more stimulation and the right sort of stimulation. In addition, some things that could help are herbs (fenugreek, blessed thistle, ordinary oatmeal) and, if the combination of more pumping and herbal supplements don't give you the desired increase, there are prescription drugs which may be useful. Reglan and Domperidone are both anti-nausea drugs which are used off-label to increase serum prolactin and increase milk supply. However, both drugs have additional side-effects and are not for all moms, so definitely speak to your healthcare provider before taking either one.

Re: Bairly an Oz each pump :(

Unfortunately physically nursing her ends in tears. Once in a while it works as bonding but to nurse allday is tramatic mostly for me. The concept of fluids from me to feed her grossest me out so I try to think of it only as a good positive for my girl. But almost everytime I try she shreeks at me. Flings her head back and forth turns red and yells. I know she must be feeding off my frustration so I do try reality hard to pump as much as I can and down as much of this icky tea... and take fenugreek. I smell awful... I mean terrible like body oder...syrup..and. Indian food farts lol.

Our living situation comes into play. I don't have much personal space to feel safe walking around topless or braless for more time to relax the situation. We are currently displaced and don't have a home of our own due to the hurricane.

I don't kno if it matters but I had this issue before the birthcontrol. Ii told the doc I was haven trouble Making milk but he didn't say anything on the subject.

Once in a blue moon when everything is realy calm she will latch like a pro but will stop after a min or pass out. If she passes out on my boob I don't take the boon away sometimes she will continue to eat.

If I could get her to nurse at least once a morning do u think it would help? She eats formula like a champ and I feel like breasted feeding is putting her under un needed stress at this point. I wont give up on the pumping. My husband reminds me everyday 8 oz it better then no oz

Re: Bairly an Oz each pump :(

Hi sorry ok,

So the bc is not causing the problems, but it could be hurting your ability to fix them. If you can safely go off the hormonal bc that makes sense. But only if you have another bc method you can realistically rely on.

there is little doubt that if you could nurse your baby, even some of the time, it would help. Babies extract milk better than pumps. Breastfeeding usually relaxes mothers much more than pumping. Breastfeeding is typically pleasurable and relaxing to mothers and that helps production. Plus there are benefits for baby to nursing at the breast beyond the milk.

However, it sounds as if you have a negative emotional response to nursing. In such a case, pumping might be more doable for you. On the other hand, if you were able to nurse more, you might begin to have less aversion to it. This is obviously a very personal thing.

I am sorry your living situation does not allow you privacy. That makes life all kinds of difficult. But pumping requires some exposure as well and you are figuring that out...

Once in a blue moon when everything is realy calm she will latch like a pro but will stop after a min or pass out. If she passes out on my boob I don't take the boon away sometimes she will continue to eat.

This describes an entirely normal nursing scenario. Babies often have a hard time latching if they are upset or frantic. And they love to nurse to sleep and will happily nurse in thier sleep. If you want to keep trying to bring baby to nursing at the breast, letting baby end her feedings at the breast and nurse for comfort like this will help with that.

Have you looked into seeing an IBCLC? They could help you with bringing baby back to the breast if that is what you want, and/or with milk production. Some places have free or low cost options if that is needed, for lactation assistance and possibly pump rental. You could contact your local LLL, Breastfeeding USA chapter, and/or breastfeeding coalition to see if they know if there are any programs in your area.

My husband reminds me everyday 8 oz it better then no oz

Smart husband! Yes you are doing amazing providing your milk for your baby in any amount.

Re: Bairly an Oz each pump :(

Another question that poped into my head just now. Does eating effect how much milk you produce? I know i was told to drink lots of fluids but what about your calorie intake? im sure i get below what i need not having a kitchen of my own to raid in down time from snuggling or calming my lil one.

Re: Bairly an Oz each pump :(

Do you mean a Medela Pump in Style? It's a double electric pump, comes with a nice bag. It's also a good pump, but not necessarily good enough when you're having supply problems. I would contact the hospital where your baby was born, or your local lactation consultants, or your local La Leche League, or your local medical supply store, and ask them where you can get a hospital-grade rental pump. They generally cost about $3 per day- which is actually competitive with the cost of formula. At $3/day, a 12 month pump rental will cost around $720, whereas a year's supply of formula is around $1500-2000.

Your calorie intake is very unlikely to impact your milk supply unless you are LITERALLY starving. The female body is designed to provide nourishing milk even if the mom herself is hungry- that's why moms can nurse their children through stress and war and even a certain degree of famine. If you gained weight during pregnancy, or even if you didn't but happen to have a couple of extra pounds having around, think of that weight as the reserve that will create breastmilk even when your calorie intake doesn't match your calorie output.

Re: Bairly an Oz each pump :(

i guess it never sunk in how much formula cost. i was on WIC with my first child so the damage wasnt as bad. I also worked at a drugg store and was able to get things on sale all the time.

The calorie thing was a shot in the dark. When your mind starts to go crazy you spend hours on google and get the wrong information half the time. i dont generaly resort to google but i was looking to cover all angles of what i may be doing wrong.

i managed to pump a 3 oz session this morning so far and also for her to latch for 5 mins after a bath, so im starting the day on a positive side.

Re: Bairly an Oz each pump :(

No, rental pumps aren't unsanitary because hospital-grade pumps are specifically designed to be multiple-user devices. They are closed systems, so that milk does not ever come in contact with the pump parts, only the tubing, bottles, and flanges, which you purchase new (cost: around $50).